How
can the IMF help in crisis?
Getting a member country's economy back on track

When a country imports more
than it exports, it has a "trade deficit."

Trade deficits can cause
foreign exchange shortages. Without foreign exchange, businesses and governments
can't pay the bills they owe other countries. That means balance of payment
problem's hurt both the country with the trade deficit and the other countries
it buys from.

One important thing the
International Monetary Fund does is to help member countries cope with foreign
exchange shortages caused by balance of payments problems.